Top five books for climate campaigners

With 2024 the hottest year on record worldwide, it’s more important than ever that everyone comes together to demand urgent action on climate change.

 

If you work as a campaigner on climate issues, or you have a strong interest in the area, having a list of books you can turn to can help empower you to tackle the crisis.

 

Reading can help campaigners to keep up to date with the latest information on climate change and understand how to best take action. Here are our top book suggestions.

 

 

How women can help fight climate change

 

Featuring in Greenpeace’s “Five climate books for your 2025 reading list”, Right here right now looks at how women can take action to tackle the climate emergency. The book is aimed at both women who have been involved in climate activism for a long time and those who are just starting out.

 

In 2009, author Natalie Isaacs set up an organisation called 1 Million Women to bring women together to fight climate change.

 

Isaacs also wrote Every woman’s guide to saving the planet which tells the story of how she started 1 Million Women. This book is a practical toolkit that shows you how to reduce your carbon footprint and mobilise communities to tackle climate change.

 

 

Taking action on climate change

 

Climate activist Greta Thunberg has pulled together the knowledge of over 100 experts – including geophysicists, oceanographers and meteorologists – to give readers the information they need to fight climate change.

 

One of the main messages of The climate book is that climate change is one of the world’s biggest emergencies but there is hope for the future if we all act together.

 

The book shares Thunberg’s own stories of demonstrating and talks about greenwashing (when companies make themselves appear environmentally friendly but they aren’t actually reducing the effects they are having on the environment).

 

Thunberg has also written No one is too small to make a difference. This includes Thunberg’s speeches from climate rallies around the world and speeches to audiences at the United Nations and the World Economic Forum.

 

 

Climate change is affecting marginalised communities

 

It’s not just you, written by activist Tori Tsui, looks at the link between eco-anxiety and the climate crisis. Eco-anxiety is the negative effects that the climate emergency is having on people’s wellbeing.

 

Tsui’s view is that eco-anxiety is an urgent mental health crisis and that it includes many injustices such as racism, sexism, ableism and capitalism. This means that the climate crisis disproportionately affects most marginalised communities.

 

The author says to tackle both the climate and mental health crisis, it’s important to prioritise community-led practices and diversify people’s perspectives.

 

 

How to get to net zero

 

Author Professor Dieter Helm looks at how to adopt a net zero strategy to reduce carbon emissions and increase carbon absorption.

 

Helm looks at why efforts to tackle the climate crisis over the past 30 years have failed and explains how we can tackle it over the next 30 years.

 

These include actions that individuals can take right through to measures that need to be carried out by national governments and countries working together.

 

 

Protecting animals and wildlife

 

One of the most destructive aspects of climate change is the impact it is having on animals and wildlife. Scientists say that climate change is playing an increasing role in the extinction of species. Climate change is also affecting the environments and habitats of species on the planet, including the oceans.

 

Our planet is based on the nature documentary series narrated by David Attenborough. The book explores the way humans have affected the lives and environments of thousands of species on the planet. The main message of the book is that our actions over the next 20 years will shape the future of the natural world.

 

The book includes a foreword by Sir David Attenborough, images from the documentary and maps. It covers parts of the Earth that haven’t been seen before, including deep oceans, remote forests and ice caps

 

You can read more about climate change and charities on Charity Digital. This includes online resources to help charity campaigners stay informed.

 

Also, read our top books lists for charity communicators, fundraisers, senior leaders, and trustees.